eldred



2 Sheets-'Sheet 1.

' (No Model.)

N. B. ELDRED.

HYDRAULG METHOD AND MACHINERY.

Patented Deo. 14. 1886.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No' Model.)

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NELSON B. ELDRED, OF AUBURN, NEV YORK.

HYDRAULIC METHOD AND MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATICN forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,112, dated December14, 1886.

Application led February 12, 1885. Serial No. 155,689. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NnLsoN B. ELDRED, of the city of Auburn, New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe Systems forLiquids, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system of pipes by which myinvention may be car ried into effect. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and illustrate, onenlarged scales, certain portions of the pipe system shown in Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to prevent the flow of liquids in pipesfrom being interfered with or checked by the -presence of air or othergases within such pipes.

Although my invention may be used with other liquids than water, and toavoid trouble with other gases than air, l shall hereinafter speak ofthe liquid to be carried as water and the disturbing gas as air, becauseI believe that the most extended use of my invention will be inconnection with that liquid and gas.

Fig. 1 shows an instance of the use of my in` vention when it is desiredto carry water from the point 1 to point 16 or 17`.

A B is the datum-line, which is the level of the water at the source, asa lake or reservoir. The heavylinel 23 415 6 7 8 9 1011 12 1314c 15 1617 represents a main or pipe through which the water is to be deliveredeither to a pump, E, into which the branch 15 17 opens, or to areservoir at 16 through the branch 15 16, being controlled by suitablegates at the points 16 and 17. These gates appear more cleaily in Fig.et. It has been customary heretofore in laying such mains or pipes toexpend large sums of money in the eort to keep to a regular grade-line,either ascending or descending, as the case might require; but by theuse of my invention l am enabled to lay such mains at will in relationto the surface to be traversed. rising and falling with the inequalitiesofthe surface, as shown .in Fig. 1, and thus causing in such a main orpipe the high points,77 or crests as l term them, shown at 2 4 6 8 10 1211. |lhe contour of the earth along the line is represented by the lightline l 2 3' 4 5" 6 7 8 9' 10 11 12 13 14. Such a main is bestconstructed of cast-iron. pipe laid with lead joints, and of sufficientsize to deliver the required quantity of water without serious loss byreason of friction. Having such a pipe, whether it be attempted toobtain a supply of water throughvit by the suction of the pump E, whichmay be above the waterlevel A B, or by forcing water through it by aforce-pump at the point 1, or whether it be at tempted to have the pipetlow as a Siphon, discharging at a point below the water-level A B, asat 16, in any of these cases it will be found that the quantity of waterdelivered will Soon be lessened and its delivery interfered with by thepresence ofair at the crest or crests,which, lodging there, becomes aserious impediment to the flow ofthe water. This air may leal; into thepipe, or it may be taken in at one end, 0r it maybe disengaged from thewater in the pipe. There may be one or many crests in the pipe, theirnumber being immaterial and merely involving a repetition of theapplication of my invention. The length of the pipe is also immaterial,excepting as the loss by friction becomes excessive at great lengths.

The height ofthe highest point in the pipe above the level of the Waterat the source must not exceed the height to which alow atmosphericpressure will sustain a column of water and less the frictionhead of thepipe for the quantity sought to be delivered.

With a pipe, as herein before described, which may rise from thefountain-head at l. with one or more crests, as 2 4 6, to its highestpoint 8, (where it may terminate, if desired, the pump E being connectedto it at that point,) or continuing in a descending course with one ormore crests, as 10 12 14.` and discharging into a reservoir, as shown at16, below thelevel of the source, or into a pum'p, as shown at E,situated above the fountain-head within the limit of its liftingcapacity, it is found that the ow of the pipe, whether as a siphon orwhen responding to the suction of the pump E, is soon interfered withmore or less, sometimes to its complete stoppage, by the accumulation ofair at one or mor'e of the aforesaid crests. I proceed to removethisimpediment in the following manner: If the crest at which the airhas lodged has near it another and higher crest, as the crest 2 issucceeded by the crest 4, crest A by crest 6, and crest 6 by crest 8, Iinsert a loop of pipe, as shown hyp p 19 p p p, of suitable size toafford an air-passage from the crest 2 to the nearest point of the backslope of the crest 4, that will enable said loop to maintain a slightlyascending 5 grade, and at such a point I connect it into the main pipeagain, as is shown on a larger scale in Fig. 2. If this crest, as 4issucceeded by a higher one, as 6, I repeat the same operation, and so on,providing for as nianysimi- 1o lar cases as may arise by mere repetitionof the same means, until the 'highest crest of the line is reached, as8.

e' The' 'operation is as follows: Air having lodged at 2, because itcould not follow the water down to the subsequent depression 3,andhaving been carried by the current to the front side of the crest 2,is passed through the loop p p to the back slope of crest 4, and thencerises to that crest and is carried by the cur- 2o rent to its frontside, and is then passed by another loop p p to the back slope of thecrest 6, and thence by repetition of the aforesaid means is finallydelivered at the crest 8.

If the main pipe opens into the pump E at the crest 8, the air at thatpoint may be pumped with the 'water into the pump E, or it may beremoved by an air-pump opening into the crest 8; but if the main pipefollows a descending course from the crest 8, as shown in Fig. 1, Iapply the suction of an air-pump at crest 8 and remove the air at thatpoint. If the pipe has a uniform descent from its highest point to thepoint of attachment of the pump E, or to a point where it will flow as asiphon in accordance with the natural laws governing the fiow ofsiphons, it will only be necessary to remove the air at crest 8, for anyair in the pipe will find its way to the crest 8. f If, however, themain pipe descends in an irregular manner, so as to afford one or morecrests, as I10, 12, and 14, between the crest 8 and the pump E, Aor thesiphoirontlet 16, if there be such an outlet, these crests 10, 12, and14 may afford a lodgment for air and interfere with the flow of water inthe same manner as the crests 2, 4, and 6. In such acase the crest 14may be looped back to crest l2, crest l2 to crest 10, and crest 10 tocrest 8 by loops similar topp, Fig. 2, and all the air may be removed byan air-pump suitably located and -which applies its suction to the airin the crest 8. VI prefer, however, not to loop back these crests tocrest 8, but to apply the suction of an air-pump to them, and to' removethe air at each of them either by independent air-pumps suitablysituated with reference to them, and each operating upon one crest; or,when the Y proximity of these crests permits of it, I prefer to operateone air-pump at some convenient station, as M, Figs. 1 and 4, and carryback a single pipe, 'S, which I call a secondary pipe, which isconnected into each of the crests by short connecting-pipes, as r r2 r9r, Figs. 1, 2, and 4. .If such asecondary pipe is 6 5 used, it isadvisable to make the part near the pump M larger than the more remoteparts, in order to reduce the loss of vacuum by friction therein.

This loss is the more important, as, owing to the height, above thefountain-head,

.the most completevacuum may be required at the crest most remote fromthe airpump, as at crest 8, Fig. l. In order when drawing the last airfrom the highest crest to avoid drawing much, if any,water from thelower or nearer crests. I put valves or cut-offs in the pipes r r2 1'3r4, and by nearly closing the nearer and lower ones and the higher ormoreremote ones proportionately less (see Fig. 5) I can cut off aportion of the suction of the air-pump M at any crest where a lesssuction is rqquiredthan at the highest. A little experience will enableany one to so adjust these cut-offs upon any line of pipe as to draw allthe air with but e verylittle, if any,water from any of the crests.

If it be desirable that water shall never be drawn at one or more of thecrests, the pipes 1" r2 r3 r4, or any of them, may be carried to theheight above the fountain-head represented by tlie barometric pressure,and then be recurved and connected to its air-pump or to the secondarypipe S. I prefer, however, to use the cut-offs, by opening which I canat any time flood the pipe S, in order to clear it of frost or ice, oreven draw a quantity of water constantly with the air to the air-pump,when in cold weather there is danger from the frost or ice forming inthe pipeS.

In order to avoid forming water-traps in the pipe S, if it be laidirregularly in regard to grade, I connect the drip-pots tt',.Figs.1 and3, to it atsuch points as seem adapted to catch and hold water, providedwith suitable valves, V, Fig. 3, whereby they may be cut off when it isnecessary, in order to empty them. rlhese drip-pots may be dispensedwith if the secondary pipe S is laid upon a regular grade from one crestto the next; but it will usually be found more convenient to lay itdisregarding a grade-line and to use them.

I am aware that it is not new to remove the accumulated air from thecrest or highest point of a siphon-pipe by means of an air-pump,'

and I do not therefore wish to be understood as claiming such a feature,broadly; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a liquid-conveying pipe or main rising from thefountainhead or source of supply of the liquid to a certain height orcrest, then descending to a lower level, and then again rising t0 apoint above the first high point or crest, of an airconveying pipeconnecting the lower crest to the back slope of the pipe rising to theadjacent crest, ysubstantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a liquid-convey ing pipe or main laid atvarying heights, so

that it alternately rises and descends, of airconveying pipes connectingthe crests or high points of the said liquid-conveying pipe or main withthe back slopes of the adjacent crests, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a liquid-convey;

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ing pipe or main having an irregular descent from a high point, saidpipe alternately de scending, rising, and again descending, thus formingseveral crests, of a secondary or airconveying pipe, shortconnecting-pipes forming connections between the said secondary pipe andthe said main at the said crests, and an air-pump for exhausting the airfrom the crests of the said main through the said secondary andconnecting pipes, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a liquid-conveying pipe or main having anirregular descent from a high point, said pipe alternately descending,rising, and again descending, thus forming several crests, of asecondary or airconveying pipe, short connecting-pipes be tween thesaidsecondary pipe and the said main at the said crests, saidconnecting-pipes being provided with regulating-valves, and an air-pumpfor exhausting the air from the crests of the said main through the saidsecondary and connecting pipes, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a liquid-conveying pipe or main having anirregular descent from a high point, said pipe or main alten natelydescending, rising, and again descending, thus forming several crests,of a secondary or air'conveying pipe provided Withdrippots, shortconnecting-pipes between the said pipe or main and the said secondarypipe at the said crests, and an air-pumpfor exhausting the air from thecrests ofthe said main through the said secondary and connecting pipes,substantiall y as set forth.

NELSON B. ELDRED.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W.. NELLIs, FREDERICK I. ALLEN.

